maine – Page 2 – Moe Lane

Interesting – and, for Democrats, faintly alarming – results in Maine-02.

In ME-02 incumbent Democrat Mike Michaud is, of course, running for governor of Maine: so his seat is now open. And after last night’s results, I think that it may end up being considered more competitive than Lean Democratic. As of 10:30 AM today, Democrat Emily Cain has only gotten about 800 more votes than Republican Bruce Poliquin did; and turnout was noticeably higher on the Republican side than the Democratic one. Both candidates are unabashedly partisan; but you’d expect that the Democrats would have done better with GOTV on a seat that they’re currently holding.

Keep an eye on this race. Bruce Poliquin’s site is here.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

Sen. Angus King (“I,” Maine) thinks that he can change his coat! …Erm. Well. Actually…

…that’s an interesting thought, huh?

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with the Democrats, will decide after the midterm elections whether to switch sides and join the Republicans.

He is leaving open the possibility of aligning himself with the GOP if control of the upper chamber changes hands.

Yes, I am fully aware that the reflexive answer here is going to be ‘no,’ not least because Senator King is being so remarkably mercenary about this (he publicly admits that he prefers to be on the majority side of any particular Congress). But there are two questions that pop into my head, here: What is his price? and Does Sen. Angus King stay bought? Because if the answers are ‘Not too high’ and ‘Yes, reasonably speaking’ then I’d be happy enough to hear his offer. Continue reading Sen. Angus King (“I,” Maine) thinks that he can change his coat! …Erm. Well. Actually…

I am afraid that I have to disagree with Governor Paul LePage, here.

Pains me to do so, but I gotta.

Gov. Paul LePage told a group of Republicans last week that President Obama “hates white people,” according to two state lawmakers who say they heard the remark directly.

[snip]

Each said LePage talked about how Obama could have been the best president ever if he had highlighted his biracial heritage. LePage said the president hasn’t done that because he hates white people.

Continue reading I am afraid that I have to disagree with Governor Paul LePage, here.

RedState Interview: Kevin Raye (R CAND, ME-02).

Maine is… interesting, this cycle. The state as a whole is very likely going to go to Barack Obama: but ME-02 is generally considered to be more accessible to Romney. This matters because Maine assigns its Electoral Votes by who wins its two Congressional Districts (with two going to the statewide winner): combine that with a legitimate candidate in ME-02 itself, and you have yourself a race. Kevin Raye fits the bill: he’s the current Maine State Senate President, former chief of staff for Olympia Snowe, and has just now picked up endorsements from two of the largest newspapers in Maine (including, surprisingly, the largest: the Obama-endorsing Bangor Daily News). He is making a race of it, in other words.

Kevin and I spoke for a bit this morning:

Kevin’s site is here.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

Expanding the map: GOP moves to lock down ME-02.

Essentially, the Restore Our Future Super PAC* will be putting in a 300K ad buy in that market over the next week. It’s a twofer: first, it helps blanket New Hampshire, which is one place where Obama for America is currently frantically trying to shore up its latest firewall. Second, it covers… ME-02. Recent partisan polling is showing Romney ahead, there: and since Maine is one of two states where some of its Electoral Votes are distributed by who wins its Congressional Districts, well. It’s apparently worth 300K to explore the possibility.

If you’re wondering: yes, the state legislature did make ME-02 more competitive this go-round for Republicans, but not by all that much. Truth is, if somebody else besides Obama was on the ticket this EV would probably be out of reach. Fortunately, Obama is on the ticket.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: We do have a guy in ME-02: Kevin Raye. He certainly wouldn’t mind your support.

*Which is, like ALL Super PACs on both sides of the contest, completely independent of the parent campaign. Completely.

#rsrh Chellie Pingree too scared to run for ME-SEN.

Let me tell you the real reason that Rep. Chellie Pingree isn’t running for Senate in Maine, and never mind what WaPo stenographer Greg Sargent wrote: she isn’t running because Republican operatives everywhere were rubbing their hands together at the prospect of having Pingree to work with. Let’s just say that the woman has… entitlement… issues.

No, let’s just say that. For now; we can revisit it all in the general election.

#rsrh The other Snowe-shoe drops?

I’ll be hitting this story about possible legal shenanigans involving Senator Olympia Snowe tomorrow – it’s a bit late to work on it now – but let me note this: if it’s true then I’m hearing that it may be awful news for a certain Member of Congress whose own spouse’s financial activities might not stand up under any kind of similar scrutiny.

Annnnnd that’s all I’m going to write until I have more information.

#rsrh Maine SoS to investigate voter fraud.

Hey, guess what? Elections matter!

A voter fraud investigation triggered by allegations made earlier this week by the head of the state Republican Party will be combined with an inquiry also looking at identity fraud, Maine’s top elections official announced Thursday.

Secretary of State Charlie Summers Jr. also said he’s asked the state attorney general to work with his office in the investigation.

The voter fraud investigation began following allegations Monday by state GOP Chairman Charles Webster, who said he’d uncovered more than 200 cases of possible election fraud and asked that his information be reviewed by Summers’ office. The 206 cases cited by Webster focused on nonresident students in the state university system who had also registered to vote in Maine last year.

Continue reading #rsrh Maine SoS to investigate voter fraud.

#rsrh Olympia Snowe shoring up right flank.

At least, that’s how it looks from this Politico article. It’s at the point where Snowe is openly feuding with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (much to the pleased bemusement of Senate Republicans):

It started in 2009, when Snowe lamented being shut out of Democratic negotiations over the health care bill, continued as Reid bashed her in a 2010 magazine interview and culminated in recent weeks when the two engaged in a rare public spat on the Senate floor.

The two sparred over a noncontroversial small-business reauthorization bill, with Reid accusing Snowe of “killing” the bill and Snowe saying Reid reneged on a promise to bring up her amendment.

Continue reading #rsrh Olympia Snowe shoring up right flank.

Right-to-work coming to Maine?

That’s the plan, at least. The current situation in Maine is as follows: people don’t have to belong to a union to work, but non-union employees (both private and public sector) may still have to pay the unions a ‘service fee.’ This supposedly represents the recouping of the cost of unions ‘representing’ non-union members in labor disputes – whether or not the non-union members wanted to be part of the labor dispute in the first place – and it’s a common feature in contract negotiations in Maine. There’s legislation going through the state legislature right now to close that loophole; new Maine governor Paul LePage (R) is enthusiastically supporting it.

Whether this will work or not will largely be up to the Maine grassroots. Maine is currently majority-Republican in both houses of the state legislature, but it’s, well, Maine: I found LePage to be pretty tough-minded, but there’s a limit to how much he can do without legislative backup. And, needless to say, the unions have already begun the usual reactionary Koch conspiracy theorizing. Everybody involved is expecting a fight; and the impression is that Governor LePage, at least, is looking forward to it. Interesting times ahead…

Moe Lane (crosspost)